Tien vs Michelson, Wilson Python Buzz

Tien vs Michelson

Tonight in America, today in Australia, we get the 4th edition of these two young American prodigies squaring off against each other. Not only are they young Americans, but they're both from SoCal and only a year apart. They've grown up together and our good friends, as you can see and have heard in their interviews together. Michelson leads the head to head 2-1 and has won both matches that had normal ATP tour scoring. Tien won the first matchup they had at the 2024 Next Gen Tour Finals in Jeddah (best of 5 sets to 4, no add).

Although they are only 21 and 20 years old, it is almost disrespectful to say they are up and coming Americans. They are both ranked inside the top 40 and have both already cracked the top 30 in the World. Learner Tien had 5+ top 10 wins last year as a 19 year old, beating Medvedev twice, and once in best of 5 at the Australian Open. They're not up and coming, they're here now. It's a cagey matchup, with Tien seemingly never missing from the baseline, using his lefty serve wide and forehand angle to pull you off the court with ease. He's developed more offensive firepower, and showed at Next Gen this year he's capable of taking slices with hardly any pace and ripping forehands by you. If he gets a top tier serve in the world, there is nothing stopping him from Grand Slam potential. Guys have done it without unreal serves, but in this era of tennis it sure is a lot harder. As far as Michelson, the dudes backhand is his weapon, it is absolute nails. The forehand he can attack but the backhand he can hit all day, change directions with ease too. The serve he can pop when needed, and he showed in Laver Cup doubles he has some fiery personality. He is more outgoing and loud and Learner more reserved. Going to be an absolute battle tonight in this matchup. Fire and Ice.

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Wilson Python Buzz

What's up with this Wilson Python racquet? I haven't got to use it yet or even hold one, but it is all the rave. It started with Tsitsipas and Khachanov using a blacked out version instead of their Wilson Blade in around February of last year. As the year went on there was more buzz about it and you'd hear of more pros switching to it, Holger Rune being one of them. Then there was the Insider Tennis video of Jack Pinnington Jones (who is playing lights out tennis to start the year by the way) saying everybody is going to switch to it and it's a combination of an Aero, Yonex, and Wilson. Which just sounds absurd and I have to find out what he's talking about. A Blade is one of the best feeling racquets ever, but needs more pop for today's game, so if they've manufactured that to happen in the Python they've hit the jackpot (as JPJ said).

I've heard it to be similar to an aero, or more just Wilson's version of an Aero. But it reminds me of an old Wilson racquet called the Kobra, that was supposed to be a Wilson version of an Aero also. That racquet never caught any traction. Jo Willy Tsonga switched to it for a whole, and my coach at the time Spencer Fields had one, but that was all I saw of anybody using the Kobra. It seemed a bit like a joke racquet to me, reminding me of the Prince Shark based on the name. But it was indeed supposed to be a Wilson at the time built more like a Babolat, or an aero.

Part of the mystique is that it's blacked out and nobody knows what it'll look like. There's been the little bit of red paint on some of the prototypes they sent out to the pro's so maybe it'll be that color. But there's also been leaks of it having a grid-like pattern all over the racquet. If everyone knew what it would look like it would be one thing, but the unknown makes us only wonder more.

So my question is, is this Python racquet really this great, or is it just the Kobra repainted and revamped? And was the Kobra possibly the most slept on racquet in tennis history if this Python is the holy grail of tennis racquets?